Rotary engine.



H0. 844,094. PATBNTED FEB. 12, 1907.

A. BRETSCHBR.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION rILBn 13,120.18. 190e.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 844,994. PATENTBD FEB. 12, 1907.

A. BRBTSGHBR.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Ho. 844,094. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907..

` A. BRETSGHER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIDATION FILED 13130.18. 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@www XN W 5% gw i um/30M wo AUGUST BRETSCHER, 0F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGiNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 19o?.

Appleman mea Deemhr 1a, 1906. smal No. 348,442.

able those skilled in t e art to Which it apertains to make and use the same, reference eing had to th'e accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification.

Theinvention relates to that class of rotary engines Vin which the lixed member is provided with supply and exhaust ports and the movable mem er is provided with aseries of buckets which successively register with the ports in the iXed member to receive and to discharge the elastic fluid, the force of which causes the movable member to rotate.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in' the accompanying draw- 1n s.

n the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a rotary engine embodying the nvention. Fig. 2 is a similar view at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the valve and pump mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the fixed mem er or casing 1 comprises a cylindrical shell 2 and sides'S, secured at their edges to the edges of the shell. The cylindrical shell consists of a plurality of sections connected by lap-joints, as at 4. Inside of the casing is the movable member or wheel 5, mounted on the shaft 6, journaled in bearings 7 on the easing. The 'wheel comprises the hub 8, the web 9, and the rim 10, Aconnected withi the hub by the web. In the rim of thev w'heel'are the buckets 11 se arated by the partitions 12. Each bue et is rectangular in cross-section and has the radialimpact-faee 13, the bottom 144, in-

clined from the lower edge of the impact-face, and the top 1.5. Extending around the periphery ofthe wheel is the annular groove 16,

pump-cylinder `3Q throug formin openings 17 in the tops of thebuckets. ids roove is Wedge-shaped in crosssection, Wit its sides converging inwardly.

Intermediate'of the casing 1 and the periphery of the Wheel 5 is the annular charnber 18, into which project the ribs 19 on the inner face of the shell 2. The ribsform an annular channel in which is seated the ring 20, encircling the Wheel. The inner side of the ring is Vshaped to register with the annular groove 16 rn the periphery of thewheel. The contacting faces ofthe wheel andring are polished, so that a close registration of the `ring with the groove can be secured. The

ring is made in sections, connected by slipjoints 21, so that it can contract and expand to meet the contraction and ex ansion of the wheel. Passing through the s iell 2 are'the set-screws 22, im inging on the ring andi serve to hold the hitter in close engagement with the groove in the Wheel. On the setscrews are the coil-sprin s 23, bearingo-n the ring to normally press t 1e latter inwardly.

At intervals in the casing are the supplyerts 24, leading from the valve-cylinders 25. hile only two valve-cylinders are sho'wn, their number ma vary to meet the diie'rent requirements. Lach supply-port registers with an opening 26, passing through the ring 20. On the ring is the abutment 27 in which the opening 26 is formed. To prevent leakage into the annular chamber 18, a sleeve 28 is seated in the abutment and the o posite Wall of the cylinder and surrounds t e port and openin This sleeve has endwise play so that it will not oppose the contraction and expansion of the rinU. Immediately back of each suppl T-port is t e exhaust-port 29, passing through` the ring 20 and the shell 2. To prevent leakage atthis port, the sleeve 430 is provided. The end of the rin -section adj acent Vto the exhaust-port is mlyheld in place against'the sleeve 30 by the pin 31 keyingit to the casing.

n the valve-c linder 25 is 'the piston 32,

reciprocated by t e roll 33 on its stemengaging with the cam-groove 34 in of the fly-Wheel 37 on the shaft l6. 4 This valve mechanism controls the supply-port 24 leading through the casing 1.` The cylinder 25 opens into the explosion-chamber 38lint0 which the explosive char e `passes'from 4.the the opening 40,

the periphery les controlled by the check-valve 41. The pump-cylinder communicates with the source of the explosive compound through the passage 42. The explosive com ound 1s comressed and forced through t e openin 40 by the piston 43, reciprocatecl by the ro l 44 on its stem engaging with the cam-groove 45 in the periphery of the fly-Wheel 37. On the pistons 32 and 43 are the usual packing-rings 46. When the ex lesive compound enters the explosion-cham er 38, it is icgnited by any of the Well-known devices use for the purose. By means of the cam-grooves in the ily-Wheel the timing and movement cf the pistons are controlled.

The operation of the device is as follows: The expansive iiuid passes through the supply-port 24 and enters the buckets 1 1 throu h the openings 16 as the buckets successive y pass the port. The inclination of the ort is such that the energy of the elastic iiui is directed against the impact-faces 13 of the buckets, and thereby rotar movement is imparted to the Wheel 5. s the latter rotates the opening 16 in the top of each bucket as it leavesthe port is closed by the ring 20, and the bucket retains its charge until it registers with the succeeding exhaust-port 29, where the charge escapes and the bucket is free to receive a fresh charge of the expansive Huid at the next supply-port. Before the machine is started the ring 20 is adjusted by means of the set-screws 22, so that there is a close engagement between it and the annular groove 17 1n the periphery of the wheel. Af

ter theY engine has started the wheel will exand to some extent, and the expansion will be taken up by the springs 23. The latter will also take up the force of an excessive impact of the expansive [luid on the buckets.

While the invention has been described as bein applied to an explosive-engine, it can also e applied to steam-engines and also to any others in which an expansive or elastic iiilid is used to produce the energy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, a casing provided with supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable in said casing and provided with buckets and having an annular groove in its periphery to form openings in said buckets to register with said ports, and a ring seated in said annular groove to close the openings in the buckets between the ports.

2. In a rotary engine, a casing provided with supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable in said casing provided with buckets andhaving an annular groove in its periphery to form o enings in said buckets to register with sait ports, and an adjustable ring seated in said annular groove in the periphery of the wheel to close the openings in the buckets between the ports, and means for adjusting said ring into and out of said groove.

3. In a rotary engine, a casing having supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable m said easing and provided with buckets and having an annular groove in its periphery to form openings in said buckets to register with said ports, and a ring adjustably mounted in said casing and engaging with the annular groove 1n the periphery of said Wheel to close the openings in the buckets between the ports.

' 4. In a rotar engine, a casing provided with supply an exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable in said casin provided with buckets and having an annuIar groove in its periphery to form openings in said buckets to re ister with said ports7 a ringl adjustab mounted in said casing and en aging with the annular groove in the perip ery of said Wheel to close the openings in said buckets between the ports, and set-screws in said casing and impinging on said ring to adjust the latter Vin said annular groove in the periphery of the wheel.

5. In a rotary engine, a casing provided with supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable in said casing and provided with buckets and having an annular groove in its periphery to form openings in said buckets to register with said ports, a ring adjustably mounted in said casing and engaging with the annular groove in the periphery of said wheel to close the openings in the buckets. between the ports, andv springs Abearing on said ring to normally press the latter into said roove.

6. n a rotary cngine, a easing provided with supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable in said casing and provided with buckets having an annular groove in its periphery to form openings in said buckets to register withsaid ports, a ring adjustably` mounted insaid casing and en raging with the annular groove in thc periplicry of said wheel to close the openings in the buckets between the ports, set-screws in said casing impinging on said ring to adjust the latter in said annular groove, and springs on said set screws bearing on said ring to normally press the latteriiito said groove.

7. Ina rotar engine, a. casing. provided with supply an exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable 111 said casino' provided with buckets and having an annu ar groove in its periph` r2@ ery to form openings in said buckets to register with said ports, and a ring formed of relatively movablescctions seated in said annular greove to close the openings in said buckets between said ports.

8. In a rotary engine, a casing provided with supply and exhaust ports, a wheel rotatable 1n said casing provided with buckets and having al1-annular groove in its periph- In testimony whereof I hereuntoaflx my ery to form openings in said buckets to re signature in the presence of two Witnesses. ister with said ports, a. ring seated in said AUG BRETSCHER annular groove and having openings to reg- 5 ster with saidV ports and with the lopenings Witnesses:

A in said buckets, and sleeves inclosng sind W. F. CHRYSTAL, ports and the openings in said ring. ALEX RODGERS. 

